1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to the field of counterbalancing a vehicle by the use of a counterweight. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to a rotatable counterweight that can be repositioned to counterbalance and improve the traction of a vehicle on an inclined surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
The traction of a vehicle may be increased by adding weight to the vehicle. For some vehicles with large, heavily-treaded rear wheels, such as tractors, this weight is most efficiently added to the rear of the vehicle. For example, one method of adding weight to a tractor, and thus improving the traction, is filling the rear tires with a Calcium Chloride solution. One advantage to this technique is that by storing the solution inside the inner tube, the solution will rest on the bottom of the inner tube. Thus, the added weight is positioned as low as possible on the tractor, which is beneficial for both tractor traction and tractor safety. However, dealing with the Calcium Chloride solution can be dangerous to the average tractor operator, and the increased weight of the tires can make them incredibly difficult to remove or to lift.
A second method of adding weight to a tractor or another vehicle is through the use of cast-iron wheel weights. These weights, which may be a single piece or multiple pieces, are mounted to one or both sides of the wheel rim. While these weights increase the vehicle's traction, they can often be difficult to lift and to mount and unmount from the wheel rims.
Adding large amounts of weight to the rear of a vehicle is not without risk. The most serious disadvantage to this technique is increased risk that the vehicle will flip over backwards. While the vehicle may have increased traction, it will also have an increased risk of flipping backwards, a very serious risk for both the vehicle and its operator. Additionally, some parts on the vehicle may experience increased wear and tear due to the extra added weight. Thus, while there are methods of increasing a vehicle's traction, they are not without their downsides and risks.